Audit of school councils reveals failures, missed opportunities
A SCATHING audit of school councils has found there can be no assurance the governing bodies are operating effectively or fulfilling their objectives and functions — and the failures were largely due to three issues.
Education
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A DAMNING report into school councils by the Auditor-General has found there can be no assurance the governing bodies are operating effectively or fulfilling their objectives and functions.
The scathing audit states the failures of school councils represent “a missed opportunity to continually improve the functioning of Victorian government schools”.
Those failures were largely due to a lack of clarity over the school council’s role, the performance expectations of its members and a lack of performance evaluation, the audit found.
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The report surveyed 1004 Victorian government primary and high school principals and councils.
Just 15 per cent of schools surveyed had an assessment to identify the skills they needed from members on council, while three in five principals and school council presidents said decision-making was an emerging challenge.
Auditor-General Andrew Greaves’ report made five recommendations to the Department of Education and Training.
These called for it to clarify the objectives of school councils; update guidance and training; introduce a support strategy; implement additional assurance measures; and set up an annual reporting process on school council performance, reporting to Education Minister James Merlino.
School councils — made up of more than 17,000 volunteers across the state — oversee budgets, governance, policies and maintenance.
School Improvement and Governance Network chief executive Nicholas Abbey said despite serious issues outlined in the audit, it was a “win-win”.
“I think it actually provides an opportunity to realise the potential of school councils,” he said. “There could always be more support of them.”
Department of Education spokeswoman Katie Elliott said the department had accepted and would address the report’s five recommendations “to help clarify the objectives and role of school councils”.
“School councils and the 17,000 volunteers that serve on them are a critical part of the governance framework for Victorian government schools,” she said.
As of this term, a government overhaul made it compulsory to have two student representatives on every public high school council.
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